At the Nexus of Curiosity and Purpose
Threads. In College Prep class, I often liken a good college application to a quilt, with tidbits of information that show up in several locations and stitch disparate pieces together into a coherent whole. Such connections can often make the difference between a heap of scraps and a frameable work of art.
Connections. The plot of the 1988 movie Working Girl swirls around a corporate merger proposal inspired by an out-of-the-box association between two unrelated entities. Author James Burke, in his PBS series Connections, traces the history of technology through a seemingly endless series of subtle, yet profound links. According to one Amazon.com reviewer, Mr. Burke “ricochets from one colorful personality or idea to another, in a confusing, dazzling, and ultimately entertaining way—giving one the idea that the history of innovation is that of one large web.”
So it is that my mind wove together three of my summer reads:
The Chronicle of Higher Education has been tracking over 1100 public and private non-profit colleges and universities in the United States and reports that approximately 60% of them have announced plans to bring students back to campus in the fall. Scratching the surface of that statistic, however, reveals that many of these institutions are expecting that some, or even most, actual instruction will be online. Schools around the country are furiously planning for a still highly uncertain fall, struggling to find an enriching and appropriate balance between in-person and virtual that does not risk the health and safety of any constituents.
“Colleges and universities seek critical thinkers and active learners; curious intellectuals, eager to participate, with the determination to ask probing questions and dig for answers.”
Neil Postman, a personal hero and one of the great education technology pundits of the twentieth century, has been very much on my mind lately. Anyone who is intrigued by a political process steeped (mired?) in social media will find a prescient treatise in Amusing Ourselves to Death. But the volume I invoke today is The End of Education, not to be confused with Carey’s The End of College, which I referenced in my last post. In his preface, Postman points out that “end” could mean “purpose” or “finish,” adding: “By giving the book its ambiguous title, I mean to suggest that without a transcendent and honorable purpose schooling must reach its finish, and the sooner we are done with it, the better. With such a purpose, schooling becomes the central institution through which the young may find reasons for continuing to educate themselves.”
Purpose. Education devoid of purpose serves no public good.
Today, Inside HigherEd, an excellent (and free) online resource, carried a story headlined: “Collaboration Transcending Crisis,” by Nicholas Henriksen and Ian K. Cook, linguistics scholars conducting a large-scale cross-disciplinary research project. The article emphasizes the learning benefits of “Harnessing collective wisdom: working as a team” and that collaboration can happen in groups large and small as well as in-person or remotely. The authors underscore the value, in both the academic and professional spheres, of being able to ask the right questions, a skill that can be cultivated in collaborative settings. “The questions that our team initially set out to ask, and the ways we asked them, changed substantially over the course of the project.”
Curiosity. Nurturing curiosity is at the core of inquiry-based learning; teaching students to ask questions and then helping them build the research skills to pursue answers and seek more questions. Collaboration on group projects promotes deeper understanding of abstract subject matter and an appreciation for the contributions of others. Hendriksen and Cook note that “the true strength of this process comes from [participants] appreciating their intellectual skill sets and inviting them to incorporate their talents into the project.”
Which reminded me of the opening of one of my recommendation letters from a few years back:
“Someone needs to sit.”
A dozen seniors are standing around a large teeter-totter platform in the Catskill woods, trying to figure out how to balance themselves on it. The usual leaders are energetically debating competing strategies. Once more, from the side, the gentle voice repeats: “Seriously, guys, somebody needs to sit.” Those who hear it dismiss the suggestion. The group makes a few abortive attempts at boarding the platform. He tries again, this time with a little more emphasis: “There’s too much motion. We need a few anchors. The first few guys should sit down!” Finally, one of the others announces: “Hey, I think he’s right!”
Colleges and universities seek critical thinkers and active learners; curious intellectuals, eager to participate, with the determination to ask probing questions and dig for answers. The ability to collaborate is prized, particularly in the context where diverse participants may be scattered across the globe. Above all, they want students who value education and who demonstrate the character to listen to other voices and to contribute to the community.
Sounds a lot like the Browning Mission Statement.